On Rare Occasions, Two's a Charm

The NBA draft is this Thursday and, just like last year, there is a debate over who should be picked first and second. And it may not be moot, if the past 20 drafts are any indication. Sure, there have been some clunkers at No. 1 but plenty of superstars as well. However, the No. 2s have been more of a mixed bag. So who is the best of those second bananas?

Jason Kidd

In his classic 1992 song, "It Was a Good Day," Ice Cube enjoyed a delicious breakfast, reacquainted himself with a high school crush and, remarkably, never had to use his assault rifle. Oh, and his trip to the basketball court resulted in a triple-double. By that last standard, at least, Kidd has had many, many good days in the NBA -- 100, at last count. The only other NBA players in history to hit triple figures in triple-doubles are Oscar Robertson (181) and Magic Johnson (138); next on the all-time list come Wilt Chamberlain (78) and Larry Bird, way back at 59. Sure, the triple-double may not be the end-all-and-be-all of statistics -- it's probably the only category in which Fat Lever (43) leads Michael Jordan (28) -- but those guys are among the greatest and most versatile players in league history, and just to place himself in their exalted company speaks to Kidd's elite skills. Drafted in 1994 behind Glenn Robinson -- career triple-doubles: zero -- Kidd immediately led the Mavericks to a 23-win improvement over the previous season and shared Rookie of the Year honors with Grant Hill. In Dallas, Jason teamed up with Jamal Mashburn and Jimmy Jackson to form the so-called "Three Js," but the trio was doomed nearly from the start, possibly because of an alleged feud over R&B hottie Toni Braxton, or possibly because there were actually four Js among them. Whatever the reason, Kidd was soon shipped off to Phoenix, where he spent four and a half successful seasons, and then on to New Jersey, where he performed his finest work. The Nets had been one of the league's longstanding stumblebums, but right away, Kidd led them to the first 50-win season and trip to the Finals in the franchise's NBA history. Little wonder he is considered the finest point guard of his time. Well, except by those who prefer . . .

Gary Payton

Ah, the mentor versus, well, the Kidd. Both honed their games on the playgrounds of Oakland, where Kidd looked up to Payton. Certainly, one can make an argument for The Glove, who was drafted by Seattle in 1990, after Derrick Coleman (ugh). Payton has the only ring between them, was the more dynamic offensive player and, as his nickname indicates, was a superb defender. However, it says a ton that Kidd's average number of rebounds per game, 6.7, is the same as Payton's number of assists per game. Kidd's figure in the latter category is 9.3, speaking to his superiority as a ball distributor, which is kinda the thing people look for in a point guard.

Alonzo Mourning

If intimidation counted the most, then Zo would surely top the list. Of course, he would also top the list if the most important criterion was number of times a player had worn Jeff Van Gundy like an extra sweat sock. Mourning, picked after Shaq in 1992, had a terrific career that included an inspiring return from kidney disease, and he also shares a connection with Payton as players who finally won a title with the Heat in 2006.

Marcus Camby

There's no telling how favorably we'd be looking at this guy's career if he hadn't been injured so often, but "Cotton" Camby may have turned the corner. His top four season totals for games played have come in the past five seasons and, not coincidentally, in three of those seasons, he's led the league in blocked shots.

Rik Smits

Mike Bibby hasn't made the playoffs enough and Kevin Durant simply hasn't played enough, so . . . Smits happens! Taken after Danny Manning in 1988, the Dunking Dutchman helped lead the Pacers to the postseason in all but two of his 12 seasons and never averaged below double figures in scoring.

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